Will had to smirk at the look on her face when he offered his hand to her. He mistook it for surprise at having been 'caught' in such unladylike behaviour. Of course, it wasn't a surprise to him. His sister...well, she hadn't been the most devoted student to manners when she was a wee girl. She'd had an older brother to chase after, after all.
He again linked his hands behind his back, moving back a bit as the girl adjusted her dress and made sure she wasn't covered in dirt. It was obvious, at least to him, that she was no doubt of higher society that he himself. He hoped an angry family member wasn't going to jump out of the bushes to reprimand him. There wasn't any sign though, as the girl explained her dilemma and excuse. He glanced up at the tree behind him, catching sight of the ribbon fluttering in the slight wind.
His attention was yet again diverted when she introduced herself properly. He bowed his head slightly in greeting, then held his hand out to her. "And I am, of course, William Ferrars, of His Majesty's Royal Navy," he added, more out of habit than anything else. "So I'm afraid I am not a ribbon rescuer by trade. I could, perhaps, try it out as a hobby," he added, again turning to look up at the stray ribbon.